11 Reasons why you should visit Swaziland/eSwatini
1. Cultural Swazi Cultural Village
Set in the beautiful Mantenga Nature Reserve, two shows take place daily – 11.15am & 15.15pm – visitors can learn a bit about day-to-day life in a traditional Swazi homestead and enjoy vibrant Swazi dance and music shows. After the show take a stroll to the impressive Mantenga waterfall.
(Duration: 1-2 hours).
2. Walk & Learn Tour
These walks are an authentic look into the daily lives of a real Swazi village where ancient traditions are still practiced & local flavours can be tasted. These tours are organised through the local community and all proceeds go to it, with the local village chief being a strong ambassador for the experience. Various lengths of tours can be organised depending on your time and interests. (Duration: 2-5 hours).
3. Lobamba Walking Tour
This half day walking tour, allows visitors to experience on site the more modern Swazi lifestyle. Starting at the National Museum, this tour takes you through the main spots in the cultural and political scene in Swaziland including Somhlolo National Stadium, the Houses of Parliament & King Sobhuza II Memorial Park. To finish up with a walk though one of the most emblematic townships in Swaziland, where the visitors will be able to see the daily activity in the area, taste local beer and enjoy a traditional shisa inyama (braai/bbq) lunch. (Duration: 3-4 hours).
4. Hiking / Mountain Biking / Trail Running
Swaziland could be considered “a hikers paradise”, only in Ezulwini we are spoilt for options when it comes to hiking, just a few minutes from Mantenga Lodge you can find: – Mantenga Nature Reserve. This nature reserve offers a wide variety of routes and is home to Mantenga Falls.
(Duration: 30 mins – 8 hours).
5. Sheba’s Breast
The distinctive twin-peaks are clearly seen from the Malagwane Hill when travelling from Mbabane to Ezulwini Valley. This hike takes around 4 hours and at the top, it provides some magnificent views of the Ezulwini Valley. (Duration: 4 hours).
6. Mlilwane Game Reserve
This is Swaziland’s oldest nature reserve and it is known as the Mother of Conservation in the country. Here you can choose a few routes, including the epic climb to Execution Rock.
(Duration: 30 mins – 6 hours).
7. Sibebe Rock
A bit further out, in the surroundings of Mbabane you can also find some great spots. Located around 10km outside of Mbabane, Sibebe is the largest exposed granite pluton in the world. Although different in their geology, Sibebe is second only to Ayers Rock in Australia as the largest freestanding rock in the world.
(Duration: 4 hours).
8. Malolotja Nature Reserve
The largest nature reserve in the country, this nature reserve is home to a huge diversity of flora, fauna and birds. Malolotja includes the world’s oldest mine at Ngwenya and Swaziland’s highest waterfall.
(Duration: 30 mins – 6 hours).
9. Adventure
When it comes to adventure, Swazi Trails- located just 200 metres away from Mantenga Lodge- offers a wide variety of activities, including:
- White River Rafting (7 hours)
- Adventure Caving (4 hours)
- Mountain Bike Hire (various)
- Guided Tours (various)
- Quad Biking (2 hours)
- Canopy Tours (4 hours)
- Houseboat Tours (4 hours)
- Horse riding (2-4 hours)
10. Golf
Swaziland is home to two popular golf courses: Royal Swazi and Nkonyeni
11. Crafts
Swaziland crafts are one of the biggest attractions to the country and there is certainly a good reason for that, since you can find very unique and distinctive items, little and big things that Swaziland’s visitors can take back home and will always remind them of this small and unique African Kingdom. Some of the crafts have been popular for many years and still going strong and others have come to the craft scene more recently and all of them together are the source of many jobs for the Swazi communities around the country and are emphasizing how much talent exists. Some of the main shopping stops in Swaziland are: Mantenga Craft Centre – Silversmith – Swazi Candles – Ngwenya Glass – Baobab Batik – Swazi Secrets – Tinsaba – Quazi Design – Gone Rural – Rosecraft – Coral Stephens – Eswatini Kitchen.
Contact us for a tailor made trip to Swaziland/eSwatini or join us on one of our group tours!